Electro-optic (EO) technology, which uses the visible through far infrared (IR) portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, has evolved from the basic optical sight to integrated and highly sophisticated weapon systems for fire control, night vision, reconnaissance, and communications for the military. To provide the required test and support, manufacturers have been providing each EO subsystem or unit under test (UUT) with special-purpose automated dedicated test equipment (ATE).
This situation has led to consolidation and standardization of EO test equipment in an effort to curb the rise in development and logistics costs associated with many different dedicated test systems. These requirements have established the goal for generic rather than specialized ATE systems. Attaining this goal is most effectively achieved at the level of support where the EO ATE can achieve further economies by sharing analog, digital, and central processing equipment required to test both EO and non-EO UUTs. Generic EO ATE will require improvements in adaptability to diverse UUTs, optical measurement precision, and test equipment modularity.
In typical setup for testing a laser rangefinder, for example a rangefinder mounted to a tank, a test range of 500 meters is constructed. The rangefinder is mounted to a support on one end of the range, and a target is mounted at the other end. Needless to say, this does not lend itself readily to multiple site field testing.